How to make the ultimate charcuterie board

If you're going to have a dinner party, the ultimate starter course could be a well-designed charcuterie board which requires no cooking -- just assembly. These days charcuterie boards are all the rage and there are no more rules as to what you can or can't add to your own special creations. But if you're going to respect tradition and give credit where credit is due, perhaps the most authentic charcuterie spread should be of French origin. 

Not surprisingly, it was the French who coined the word charcuterie in the 1400s to describe a butcher shop specializing in dressed and cured meats (the original French term chair cuite simply means "cooked flesh"). So it makes sense that the first course in each of my upcoming "A Taste of France" cooking classes will feature a different regional charcuterie board. If you're attending all three of these classes, you'll get to taste a wide variety of delicacies from the Basque country (June 27), the Mediterranean Provence region (July 25), and the Burgundy wine country (August 15). 

Learn how to assemble authentic regional French charcuterie boards this summer using imported cheeses, meats, fruits, and other specialty products from our very well stocked Common Ground Food Co-op (see recipe). Each sampling of these regional delicacies will also be paired with a specific wine from the same region. Full menus and registration info is here: www.commonground.coop/taste-of-france

More recipes and information about my cooking classes and pop-up events can always be found at www.cooking-with-paul.com. For the latest news, feel free to subscribe to my monthly email newsletter.